PlayStation Vue Dropping Viacom Channels

PlayStation Vue, Sony’s OTT-TV service, said it is dropping all Viacom-owned channels starting Friday, Nov. 11, and is about to add several other services.

All Viacom-owned networks currently offered on PS Vue, including Comedy Central, Spike and MTV, will be dropped starting at 12:01 a.m. ET on Nov.11, Dwayne Benefield, VP and head of PS Vue, announced Tuesday in this blog post.

“As part of our ongoing evaluation of the PlayStation Vue offering, we have determined that removing the bundle of channels from Viacom is the best way for us to continue to offer the most compelling value to our fans,” he wrote.

PS Vue has not released subscriber figures, but a Bloomberg report in June put it at 100,000-plus, noting that the service got a lift from the introduction of new “Slim” packages that give PS Vue a national reach for its multichannel subscription service.

Benefield said PS Vue will be adding some new channels starting Wednesday (November 9), including BBC America and NBA TV, with plans to launch Viceland and more local broadcast stations from CBS and Fox “soon.” PS Vue recently added HBO and Cinemax.

About 50 PS Vue customers responded to the decision on the blog at last check Tuesday afternoon. Several said they intend to drop the service, or wanted a more detailed reason behind the decision.

“Whelp, guess I should start looking for a new streaming service, and I’ve only been on Vue for a few months,” a user going by “NintendoTom” wrote.

“Very disappointing to lose these (particularly, as a parent, the Nickelodeon/Nick Jr. channels). More transparency on how/why this happened would be appreciated, as well as whether negotiations to restore these are in process,” posted “judasgoat.”

Some weren’t too upset. “Always a bummer to lose value (i.e. channels per dollar) but I never watched those networks, so I am ok with it. Even with this, Vue is a good deal compared to my other options, just hope the trend does not continue,” wrote a user who goes by “CycoCross.”